My Angel Is A Centerfold
by SophiaAnne
Summary: Edward's homeroom angel has been fueling his spank bank for years. What happens when he finds out he's got to share her with the rest of the world?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** My Angel is a Centerfold

**Summary:** Edward's homeroom angel has been fueling his spank bank for years. What happens when he finds out he's got to share her with the rest of the world?

**Disclaimer: **The Band owns Centerfold. Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. The BBC's Coupling is the genius behind Lesbian Spank Inferno. I own none of them and borrow them all for my own amusement.

**A/N: **This story was originally written for the NaughtyHeels Anonymous One-Shot Contest, and the "inspiration song" used was Centerfold by the J. Geils Band. Much thanks to SassenachWench for her excellent beta skills and incomparable suggestions.

. . . . . . . .

**Chapter 1**

"Whassup?" Emmett shouted, as though the door slamming behind him hadn't signaled his arrival.

Jasper rolled his eyes as he took aim at another zombie and fired with deadly accuracy. "Whassup, Em? Really?"

I followed up on the lead Jasper had given and moved my position on screen. "Yeah, very turn of the millennium, Emmett."

Emmett shrugged and plunked down the case of beer he'd tucked under one arm as he juggled a brown paper bag, a shipping box, and a pile of mail onto the bar separating the kitchen and living room. "I like to kick it old school. Be nice to the man bearing brewskies and Happy Dragon takeout."

Jasper and I glanced at each other, hit pause, and scrambled to our feet.

"You're the bomb, dude," Jasper said with a grin, advancing on the table.

"The bomb diggety," I added, trying to keep a straight face as I inhaled the aroma of the Chinese and grabbed out three of the beer mugs we kept chilling in the freezer. It was good to finally be back at school after a year of interning and studying overseas, partaking with my best friends of our pre-first-day-of-class ritual of beer, takeout, and movies.

"Hell yeah," Emmett replied, as he wrenched open the box and inspected the DVD inside before tossing it to the table and flipping through the stack of mail.

"What's this?" Jasper asked, grabbing up the DVD case Emmett had thrown down. He held it up and choked back a laugh. "Lesbian Spank Inferno?"

I snatched the case from Jasper, and took a look at the case which provided a quick visual of the contents. Looked to be accurately named. I might have to bum that one off Em when he was done with it.

"Dude – you know that's what the Internet is for, right?" I teased.

"What? You know I like to collect the classics," Emmett protested. "But for tonight's viewing . . ." he paused for dramatic effect as he retrieved the DVD from its place of honor, "Tombstone!"

"I'm your Huckleberry," Jasper and I drawled in unison, his accent lending a certain authenticity.

We settled around the living room of the house we'd rented together, digging into the food and quoting the movie we'd watched dozens of time since our freshman year at Dartmouth.

As the credits started to roll, I wandered into the kitchen and carried back three more beers, passing around the extras as I settled back on the couch with a contented sigh. "I can't believe we're almost done with this place. Senior year. Seems like we just started."

"Do you remember when Emmett showed up with that bear rug on move-in day freshman year?" Jasper laughed. "That was classic. I thought the dorm advisor was going to pass out."

Emmett shrugged. "Fucking bear tried to kill me. That rug is the spoils of war." He nodded his head towards the bedroom where his rug now resided. "Besides, it's how I know if a girl's a keeper or not."

"How's that?" I asked.

"If she freaks at Old Grizzly in there, I know she's not a girl I'll ever be able to take home to Mama. Daddy's got about a dozen bucks up in the living room, and a cougar in the den."

I nodded. Emmett came from a long line of good ol' boys from the mountains of Tennessee, and his size and accent fooled a lot of people into underestimating him, despite the fact he was one of the smartest guys I'd ever met.

"What about you, Jasper? Got a litmus test?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Nah. I think you'll just know her when you see her."

"Love at first sight, huh? You really believe in that?" I asked, regarding him skeptically.

Jasper took a slow sip of his beer and was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, I do." He looked at me. "Haven't you ever had a connection with someone that just seemed to be bigger than the moment?"

I started to shake my head in the negative, and then paused, remembering my sophomore year of high school, years ago now, and a dark-haired girl in a soft blue sweater.

An upbeat ringtone that was decidedly un-Jasper-like started to play. He jumped to his feet and was off towards his bedroom with a quick wave of the hand before I could answer.

I glanced at Emmett, who just rolled his eyes. "Jazz won't admit it, but he's in l-o-v-e."

"For real? Who is she?" I asked.

"Her name's Alice. She's a cute little thing, talks about a million words a minute and has more energy than a jack rabbit on speed. He's been totally whipped since he met her last spring."

"She go here?" I asked.

Emmett shook his head. "She's at NYU. They met at a conference for those reenactments he does – she makes costumes or something. If we weren't so close to finishing, I swear Jasper would have transferred down there already. He even took her home to meet his mama in Texas this summer."

"No shit?" I leaned back, staring at the dark screen. "Who'd have guessed that Jazz would be the first to go down?"

Emmett shrugged. "I guess if we're lucky, it happens to all of us."

"If we're lucky?" Did aliens hit Hanover while I was gone and mindfuck my best friends? "Et tu, Emmett?"

He picked up his plate and headed for the kitchen. "Let's just say that I finally got Rosie into my bedroom, and she kind of fucking loved the bearskin. And speaking of, I promised I'd head over to her place tonight." He reemerged from the kitchen, tossing me Lesbian Spank Inferno. "Have fun."

I sat on the couch, alone and dumbfounded, turning the case over in my hands. We'd been each others wingmen for years now, and while I wouldn't classify any of us as man hos, we'd had our fair share.

And now they were both coupled up.

Damn.

It wasn't that I was even averse to having a steady girl. In fact, somewhere in the middle of last semester I'd realized I was getting tired of it all – maybe even ready to start thinking long term. But while the girls I'd been with ranged from naughty to nice, none of them seemed like her. The one.

I glanced at the cover of the cheesy porn Emmett had tossed me and left it on the couch as I headed towards my room. It wasn't what I was in the mood for. No, for that, I already had the images lodged indelibly in my brain, courtesy of one lucky seat assignment in homeroom my sophomore year of high school.

I closed and locked my door, already feeling the blood running south at the remembrance of the waterfall of her dark hair, draped over her shoulder one day, bouncing in a pony tail the next. It was a sad fucking situation when fantasies about a girl I'd been too shy to even talk to in high school made me harder than most real live girls I'd been with, but that was just the way it was.

Maybe fantasies were just easier to live with. I let my hand wander down, flipping the button loose and sliding the zip on my worn jeans, needing to relieve the pressure. I kicked off my shoes, tossed my t-shirt, and shucked my jeans and boxers to the floor.

I lay back on the bed, taking myself in hand and biting my lip to keep from groaning as I closed my eyes and let my memories of Bella Swan roll.

. . . . . . . .

_Six years earlier . . ._

The door to the front of Forks High jammed. I gave it a yank, cursing the cold, wet, dreary weather that conspired to make wooden doors swell and stick, my hair look like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket regardless of how much gel I tried to tame it with, and everyone in the town to bundle in ridiculous looking rain slickers practically every day.

Mine was at least green, and not the school bus yellow my mother had picked out.

An older lady, blue-haired and bespectacled, peered over the counter as I entered the office and stood before her with a sigh.

"You must be Dr. Cullen's son," she crowed with delight, tottering to her feet. "Edward, is it? We are so delighted to have you here. Your father coming to help set up the new clinic at the hospital is such a gift to our town."

I tried not to roll my eyes. I loved my dad, but the people here seemed to think he was a saint. Walked on water. Hell, they probably thought he'd be down at the morgue raising the dead before it was over.

And it was like that everywhere I went. Guess not that many people moved here, because I'd been greeted by name at the gas station when I stopped to fill up the shiny, silver Volvo the 'rents bought to make up for dragging me to Nowheresville. And the grocery store when Mom sent me to pick up a gallon of milk. And the sporting goods store when I stopped in to try to find a sleeping bag. Total fucking strangers knew my name.

It was creepy.

I smiled politely, and patiently waited as she printed out my schedule, daydreaming what today would have been like at my old private school in Chicago. This was supposed to have been my year. I'd finally gotten my braces off. I'd hit a growth spurt over the summer, and while I was still kind of skinny, I was working out. I was sure I was going to make the JV soccer squad, and maybe even varsity baseball next spring. The girls at the sister school of St. Agnes were finally going to notice me, and maybe someone besides myself would finally touch my dick.

A guy could dream, right?

"Here you go, Edward. You'll have Mr. Geils for home room. Turn left at the end of the hallway, and take the second door on your right."

But it wouldn't happen now because I was stuck here. As much as I'd hated those uniforms as St. Crispin's, I'd never complain again if I could only put on that striped tie and blazer and march down the halls with my friends.

I took the paper and headed out the door into the melee.

Mr. Geils turned out to be an older dude with a resigned look on his face and shaggy dark hair. The bell rang and he shut the door, whistling for attention as people slid into seats. I watched for a minute, confused since everyone already seemed to have a clue about where they were going, then grabbed an empty seat along the back wall.

"Alright, this is your homeroom for the year. You've all been sitting in the same seats for the last decade, and I'm tired of the yakkity-yak. So this year, no alphabetical seating. Everybody up. Listen for your name."

And in that one move of classroom management brilliance, Mr. Geils changed my life.

He reached the Cs early, and I was soon situated, my seat near the back and beside the window, perfect for zoning in the fifteen minute homeroom every morning. I dropped my backpack on the floor, slumped down in the chair, and watched the parade with half an eye as Mr. Geils continued to call names.

"Bella Swan?"

A pair of hulking cro-magnon types in letter jackets parted and a girl stepped out from between them. No, girl didn't begin to describe her. An angel.

Her hair was dark, long and flowing as it bounced around her. Fucking shampoo commercial hair in real life. She was on the petite side, with a perfect little figure that wasn't stick-thin like most of the socialites-in-training at St. Agnes. She had curves, perky breasts swaying just so under the thin cover of her t-shirt. My eyes were mesmerized as she walked down the aisle to my right, stopping at the desk one ahead and one over from mine and sinking down into the seat. Her waterfall of hair hid her face until she leaned over to pull something from her bag, flipping the strands back over her shoulder as she sat back.

I studied her profile, all the other prattle and chatter in the classroom fading away. Her skin was porcelain, pale and smooth like ivory, and I could see just the hint of her red lips as she nervously licked at them, then uncapped a tube of Chapstick she wiggled from the pocket of her jeans and liberally coated her mouth.

It was strawberry. I loved the taste of strawberry.

My pants got tighter as I watched her tongue come out and lick her lips again.

Fuck me. How did an angel like this end up in Forks?

She waved a shy greeting at another dark-haired girl with glasses across the room, then dug into her bag again, this time pulling a book out of the depths.

I blinked, then leaned forward, recognizing the cover of _House of Leaves._

Fuck me harder. Could she get more perfect?

I scrambled for my own bag and pulled out the same book, tossing it on to the desk and willing her to look back. As she flipped a page, engrossed, I took a deep breath. I had the perfect opening for a conversation – I just needed to go for it. Say something.

_You like Danielewiski?_

_Is that the full color edition?_

_Have you listened to-_

The bell rang, interrupting my mental constipation, and I watched as she closed the book, tucked her hair behind her ear, and stood, looking me in the eyes for the first time.

Hers were a deep brown, pools of dark cocoa that shimmered and sparkled as she caught sight of the book on my desk and smiled at me.

I basked.

"Good book," she said, as she walked by.

I froze, captivated by her voice, the sway of her hips in those jeans, her fragrance something sweet and floral. By the time I recovered, she was gone.

. . .

And so began my long, torturous lust affair with Bella Swan. I discovered that the upside of small towns was that everyone knew everything about each other, and no one had anything better to do than talk. By the end of the first week, I knew that she was the police chief's daughter, which explained why, even though she was fucking gorgeous, she didn't have a boyfriend. Apparently her father had made it clear during last year's DARE rally that he wasn't afraid to use his gun on any horny male who came within fifty feet of his daughter.

No one seemed to doubt him.

I also learned that her closest friend was the minister's daughter, Angela, that she drove a battered old Chevy truck that sounded as though it was about to break down every time she chugged into the parking lot, and that she always carried a book with her everywhere she went.

And from personal observation I deduced that she was on a mission to torture me with her strawberry Chapsticked lips she was constantly licking, her fantastic ass that she displayed every morning in homeroom when she bent over to pick up her books, and her gorgeous tits that tormented me with their fuzzy sweater coverings that my hands itched to stroke.

In short, she was perfection. And I? I was completely tongue-tied every time she said anything to me, mainly because I was imagining her naked.

. . .

By the time January rolled around, I'd memorized everything about Bella. The way she walked. The difference between the smile she gave her friends when she was excited and happy, and the polite one she gave Mike Newton when he hovered by her desk and tried to look down her shirt while telling her a scheduling change at his parent's sporting goods store, where she worked after school. Her favorite things to eat at lunch. The way she'd block out everything when she was entranced in a book.

Today her hair was up in a ponytail, dark curls caressing her neck as she flipped another page. She was reading Jane Eyre, which in my book was just nineteenth century chick-lit, but she seemed entranced, her lips moving slightly as she mouthed the words on the page. I watched for a moment, wondering if they'd feel as soft as they looked, if she'd like it if I licked that plump lower lip she was always swiping with her little pink tongue.

Oh, yeah, there it was. I watched her tongue dart out, a quick caress that darkened the color of her mouth. She sighed, and turned another page, her cheeks flushing slightly as she continued to read. I'd actually bailed on that one in freshman English and read the Cliff Notes, but I didn't remember it having anything to blush over. Maybe I needed to check it out again.

She shifted, then tugged at the hem of her dress again as my gaze drifted lower. Bella was usually a jeans and sweater kind of girl, but every now and then she'd break out these skirts that fucking made my week. The one she had on today was my favorite. A blue and black plaid, pleated in a way that made it swish around her thighs when she walked. It wasn't that short when she was standing, but when she sat, several inches seemed to magically disappear, leaving me with what seemed like yards of leg to ogle. And to top it off, she'd added knee high socks with those little bands around the top and my favorite fuzzy blue sweater.

I let my eyes caress the curve of her knee, the silky skin of her thighs tucked demurely to the side of her seat, legs firmly pressed together. I wondered what kind of underwear she wore. White cotton? Or something lacy, maybe a blue that matched her sweater?

My dick got even harder at the thought of Bella standing before me in nothing but that sweater and a pair of tiny blue lace panties. I dropped a book in my lap to hide the fact. The bell rang and Bella stood, turning towards me. She came down the aisle and stopped by my desk.

"Hi, Edward."

The power of speech appeared to have left the building in the presence of Bella of the plaid skirt. I glanced at the book in my lap, and managed to choke out a greeting of some type. The plaid skirt didn't move, so I ventured a look up.

"Could I ask you for a favor?"

I blinked. Bella Swan wanted to ask me for a favor? I must have nodded, because she continued on. "I have to go out of town, to visit my grandmother in California. Would you take notes for me in biology for the next few days? Angela's in all my other classes and said she would, but we don't have that together, and I know you take good notes, so-"

"Okay," I managed to croak out, then cleared my throat, nodding to confirm.

"You're sure? It's not too much of a problem?" I shook my head to indicate the negative.

"Oh, thank you so much, Edward. Um, the bell's going to ring in just a second, so I guess I'd better go. Thanks again."

I watched her walk out, banging my head on the desk in frustration, the pain finally managing to convince Little Eddie to stop acting like a homing device pointing true north towards Bella Swan. I'd waited months to try to talk to the girl of my dreams, and all I could manage was a stuttered okay? If she'd had any doubts I was a moron, I was sure they'd been eradicated by our little exchange.

. . .

I spent the rest of the week taking the most meticulous notes I'd ever taken in biology, despite the fact I'd already covered everything in the lessons the year before at my old school. I wanted everything to be perfect. Maybe it they were, Bella would talk to me again. Maybe I'd manage to not be a fuck up and actually talk back. Maybe I'd actually have the guts to ask her out. Maybe she'd want to thank me for them.

My mind started to drift at that thought and I stretched out on my bed, grabbing the bottle of lotion I'd stashed under the mattress and warming it up before I slid my boxers down. I could ask her out, maybe take her to dinner in Port Angeles. She'd wear that skirt again, and I'd slide my hand up her knee while we were driving, edge it up until I could see what she had on underneath.

My hand was slick and warm now on my own flesh as I stroked harder, getting more into it. We'd drive up to this spot I'd heard about, up by the edge of the Quiluete reservation. She'd tell me she wanted to thank me, and we'd move to the backseat. I'd kiss her, lick those strawberry lips while I slid her shirt up. She'd be shy at first, coy, make me work for it, beg to touch her, suck on her tits. But then she'd get into, ask for more, her voice all rough and needy, calling out my name, urging me to fill her up, take her, fuck her.

I grunted and bucked my hips, coming hard into my hand as I moaned out Bella's name.

I heard the knock on my door and froze for a second, realizing I'd forgot to lock it.

"Edward, dear, are you all right? I thought I heard you moaning."

I grabbed the covers and tossed them over me as I heard the door start to open. My mother moved across the room and sat on the edge of my bed, touching my forehead gently.

"I'm fine, Mom. I just have a little bit of a stomachache," I insisted.

"You just look a little flushed, I hope you're not coming down with anything. I'll have your father come in and check on you when he gets home."

"No, really, Mom, I'm fine," I protested.

"Alright." She gave one final smooth of my forehead and rose to turn out my lights. I rolled over in relief, then groaned at the wet spot I felt beneath me.

. . .

As usual, my fantasy was nothing like reality. I handed the notes to Bella in homeroom the following week, and was about to try my well-rehearsed speech to ask her to dinner, when Mr. Geils commanded us all back to our seats for some kind of lame all school telecast about the dangers of huffing or some shit like that. Snorting spray paint is bad for you? No, really? If you couldn't figure that out, you'd already huffed one too many in my book.

I tried the rest of the day. I really did. But she was always with someone – Angela, Jessica, fuckhead extraordinaire Mike Newton. The moment never came, and by the end of the day, I'd lost my nerve, my mojo, whatever.

The next morning she dropped a note in my lap on the way out the door. I could see my name on it, her curly, girly writing that made the E all loopy looking - stupid and perfect at the same time. I carefully unfolded it.

_Edward,_

_Thank you for taking the notes for me – they were perfect! Let me know if you ever need a favor!_

_Bella_

Underneath was a small smiley face beaming at me and her phone number scribbled beneath. It was like a fucking sign from heaven itself – my angel wanted me to call her. I folded the note back into my pocket and tried to wipe the stupid grin off my own face.

But the longer the day went on, the more my palms sweated and my stomach gurgled at the thought of calling her. By the time I got home, parking my sparkling clean Volvo in the drive, I was about to throw up with the ping pong match of reasoning bouncing in my head.

_She wanted me to call her._

_She was just being polite. Girls like Bella, nice, sweet girls, were always polite._

_She owed me a favor._

_Not that kind of favor, dumbass._

_Maybe she liked me._

_Maybe she didn't._

_What if I called and asked her out and she said no?_

_What if I called and asked her out and she said yes?_

I wasn't sure which of the two possibilities scared me more.

I spent five hours staring at the phone. In the end, I couldn't pick it up.

The rest of the week slipped by, and though I saw Bella flash me a curious look every now and then in homeroom, she didn't say anything else to me or pass me any more notes. I watched her everyday, her sweet smile and heavenly body, and wondered what it would be like to really touch her outside of my fantasies.

A few weeks later at the end of January, I came home to find my mother packing boxes. A new position had opened up at the hospital my father had taken leave of in Chicago, and they needed him back right away, since the clinic setup in Forks had gone so smoothly.

My last day at Forks High, I watched her walk into homeroom one final time. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold wind, and her dark hair had tiny melting snowflakes clinging to it. I drank her in as she unbundled from her heavy parka, revealing jeans that made her legs a mile long, and a sweater with a vee in the neckline that hinted at her cleavage. She caught me as she turned around and I didn't turn away for once. She gave me a slow, sweet smile that I managed to return, and held my gaze as she walked to her seat. I handed Mr. Geils my withdrawal form with the needed signatures, grabbed my bag, and took one last look at my homeroom angel before I left Forks for good.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for your reviews, comments, and alerts on this story – each and every one is most appreciated.

Chapter 2

The next Friday night found me at home, sitting on the couch with a beer in my hand as the first week of our senior year classes at Dartmouth wound down. In years past, we'd have all been here, knocking back a couple and planning which parties to hit. Instead, I watched in appalled amusement as Jasper scurried around our place, frantically cleaning. He frowned at me as I launched my empty can at the recycling bin and missed.

"Fuck, Edward, I just spent an hour tossing all the empties in there. Can you try to contain the mess?"

I snorted. "So when did you say Alice is going to be here? 'Cause I just can't wait to meet the woman who has Jasper Hale this pussy whipped."

He flipped me off and went back to his vacuuming. I sighed and grabbed my can off the floor, threw it in the bin, then started running water to make a dent in the stack of dirty cups sitting in the kitchen sink. Clearly this Alice was important to him; I could try to not be a jerk about feeling like the odd man out among my best friends.

The boom of the front door opening announced Emmett. He stopped in the entrance, eyeing us both. "Well, throw on some pearls, boys, and I'll call you both Donna Reed. You housewives know it's Friday night, don't you?"

We both flipped him off with well-practiced synchronization.

"Alice is driving up tonight," I announced. "Jasper wants things to look nice for his laaady," I singsonged.

"Shut it, Cullen," Jasper ordered. "You're going to like her."

Emmett nodded. "You will, Ed. That Alice is a trip." He looked around the living room. "You're good, Jazz – the place looks spiff. Now take a break and gather 'round. I've got something you'll want to see." He pulled out a brown-paper wrapped magazine from the stack of mail he was toting and brandished it before us. I could see bunny ears peeking above the wrapping.

"Playboy?" I asked, the skepticism clear in my voice. Emmett had a weird obsession with Hef and all things Playboy. Apparently his father had been collecting every edition of the magazine since Marilyn herself had graced the pages, and Emmett seemed to have picked up the habit in spades.

"Em, remember that thing we talked about? The free naked chicks out in cyberspace?" I asked.

Jasper emerged from the kitchen with our frozen mugs. He popped the cap off his first beer and poured it into one of the glasses. "Yeah, no offense, Em, but who wants to look at airbrushed actresses trying to jump start their careers?"

Emmett shook his head at us both. "Oh, my young Padawans, how quickly you both forget. You have so much yet to learn. It's finally here." He reverently tore the wrapping away to reveal the cover.

On the front was a buxom blonde, barely wrapped in a dark crimson banner that strategically covered all her most interesting bits and revealed the rest of her nearly perfect body. The banner read, _Girls of the Ivy League 2009_.

"My friends, this is the first Girls of the Ivy League in more than a decade. And rumor has it that more than one of our fair damsels here at Dartmouth made the cut."

The Playboy shoot. I'd almost forgotten about that. I'd been studying in London when Playboy had come to the campus last fall, setting off the usual politics of protest over whether it was exploitation or empowerment. Emmett had kept me well-informed though, appalled that they would try to block his beloved magazine from, as he put it, 'giving Dartmouth ladies a chance to express themselves.' The editorials and back and forth had apparently gone on for weeks before it all wrapped up with an open call attended by a surprisingly large number of women on the campus.

And I'd have been lying to not admit that I, along with every other straight guy on campus, wanted to see who made the issue now in Emmett's hands.

"Gimme," Jasper said, reaching across the table with a futile swipe.

Emmett smirked. "Dude – you aren't getting this before me. But you can give me love later, because I bought you guys both one of your very own."

He pulled two more wrapped covers from the bottom of the mail and tossed them to us. I ripped the brown paper off of mine and tore inside. I'd peruse the others at leisure, but I wanted to see if I knew any of the women in Dartmouth green.

"Oh fuck, Tanya's in here, Edward," Jasper chortled. "Page 37."

I groaned and turned to the right page. Why was I not surprised? If her business degree didn't work out, Tanya could easily find herself a career in porn. She'd been training for it since our freshman year, when she'd taken a liking to the baseball team and decided to fuck her way through the roster.

I'd been a holdout, figuring if the girl didn't have better taste than to blow the second string relief pitcher in our locker room, she probably wasn't worth the time. I hadn't realized that Tanya liked a challenge. Turning her down at a frat party freshman year had been like throwing oil on the fire. She'd been after me ever since - fucking Edward Cullen had gone straight to the top of her lengthy 'to do before graduation' list that night. It had become almost a game by the time we finished our sophomore year, her waylaying me at parties, and me shooting her down as gently as possible. Last thing I needed was her threatening to boil my bunny.

"Good, maybe she'll be so in demand now she won't remember she wants a piece of me," I muttered.

Her crazy eyes stared back from the page and I flipped past. Dartmouth girl number two turned out to be another familiar face, and Jasper and I both watched as Emmett grinned and pumped his fist in the air.

"Oh, hell yeah, I knew my girl would make it!"

Rose was holding one green pompom over her head, with her other arm crossed in front of her to obstruct a full view of her breasts. A pair of miniscule green panties completed the outfit. She wasn't my type, but I could appreciate why Emmett had been panting after her since the day he first laid eyes on her in our freshman comp seminar.

Emmett whipped out his cell, calling Rosalie I presumed, as he wandered into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Guess she was the only girl he'd been looking for. I flipped the page again and thought I felt my heart stop.

The brunette on the next page sat in a pose slightly more subtle, but no less provocative that Rose's had been. She was kneeling away from the camera, the curve of her ass highlighted by the green lace that arched over both cheeks. Half-turned, she has a tiny book clutched to her front that barely covered her, leaving the swell of her perky breasts just visible. A pair of green and white striped knee socks and a pair of dark-rimmed glasses clutched in her free hand accessorized the outfit, if it could even be called that. Her glance over the shoulder was one I remembered well, innocent and alluring at the same time.

It was Bella Swan.

Bella _fucking_ Swan.

My homeroom angel. Who was, even as I stared, probably being whacked off to by some thirteen-year-old boy in Vermont.

The thought made me sick. She was mine. The star of my private fantasies, not for public consumption.

"Edward? You okay, man?" Jasper snapped his fingers a couple of times in my face, then glanced down at the picture I was fixated on. "Check that out. Damn, Bella looks good."

I slammed the magazine shut. "What?" I asked. "You know her? How do you know her?"

Jasper took a step back and threw up his hands as I realized I'd been yelling. "Whoa there. Yeah, I know her. Bella is Rose's roommate, Edward."

"Bella is Rose's roommate?" I repeated like an trained parrot, stunned. I opened the magazine to check again and make sure I hadn't been hallucinating. "Bella Swan?"

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, Edward, Bella Swan." He stopped. "Wait, how do you know who she is? She just transferred in last fall while you were gone."

"I went to high school with her."

He frowned. "Are you sure? She's from some little podunk town in Washington, not Chicago."

I nodded. "My dad moved us to Forks, Washington for about six months my sophomore year of high school for this clinic project he was working on. Her dad's the police chief there."

Jasper whistled. "Guess it is a small world after all." He paused and looked at me, watching as I flipped open the magazine to her page, took a quick peek, then shut it again hastily. "Why are you so twitchy?" He raised an eyebrow. "Did you _know_ her, Eddie? Oh shit, she didn't pop your cherry, did she?"

"Fuck no," I growled. "Bella wasn't like that. She was . . . just really . . . nice. Beautiful." I thought back to the way she'd looked in that desk ahead of me in our homeroom, sweet and shy, a blush staining her cheeks when someone told a dirty joke. "She was . . . kind of . . . pure."

Jasper started to laugh. "Pure?" He doubled over, slapping his hand against his leg. "Are you serious? Dude, you've got a bad case of the unrequiteds for Bella Swan. Damn, who'd have guessed? I always knew you had some girl who was your kryptonite." He raised his voice. "Em, come out here, man."

Emmett came out of his bedroom and snapped his phone shut. "I'm gonna head out to Rose's. She's gonna model for me." He winked. "Say hey to Alice for me, Jazz."

"No, no, wait, Emmett, you've got to hear this." Jasper flopped open the magazine and held up Bella's picture. I jerked the pages out of his hand and shut it again as he laughed. "Bella is Eddie's secret high school crush."

Emmett cocked his head to the side and let out a long whistle of his own. "No fucking way. You know Bella?"

I shook my head. "No, I did, well, I went to the same school with her for a few months sophomore year. I doubt she'd remember me though – we weren't really friends."

Jasper snorted behind me. "Bet you wanted to be though." He made kissing noises in the air and I smacked the back of his head. "Is Bella dating anybody, Em? Can we hook the boy up, put him out of his misery?"

Emmett rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys. "Come with me over there, Edward, she'll be glad to see you. She's always saying no one here's ever even heard of her town."

I frowned and shook my head. "Oh, no, I-"

"Don't be a pussy, Edward. Come on." Emmett propelled me out the door, the magazine still gripped in my hand.

. . . . . . . .

For once, Emmett seemed to realize I wasn't in the mood to talk. Or maybe he was too caught up in thinking about Rose's pom-poms – he'd had kind of a goofy, blissed-out look on his face since he'd seen her photo. Either way, he left me to my own thoughts as he drove through the quiet streets.

Bella Swan. Here. At Dartmouth. That weird, ecstatic, slightly nauseous feeling I hadn't experienced since high school rumbled through my stomach. My fantasy girl. The one who was perfect, and sweet, and sexy, and exactly what I wanted her to be every time.

Because she wasn't real.

Except, she was. The real Bella, not the one in my head, but the real thing, was going to be in front of my eyes in minutes for the first time in years.

That thought made it a little hard to breathe.

Part of me wanted to tell Emmett to stop so I could get out of the car. I had a good thing going with my perfect fantasy girl. Did I want to see the real Bella again, ruin my mental image of her?

She had to be different now. Not the shy girl I remembered from high school, for sure. Her picture was in Playboy, for fuck's sake, showing her goods to everyone, so I doubted she'd blush at a dirty joke anymore. Not that I was judging or anything, but it made me wonder what else would be different about her.

Did she still carry a book around all the time? Did her face still light up when the sun came out after days of rain? Did she still twirl her hair up in that kind of impossible loop she magically held up with two pencils?

I shook my head in disgust. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I remember shit like that about her? Why did I even care if I saw her again? She wasn't the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my life. She was just some chick I'd gotten a perpetual hard-on for in high school, and still jerked off to now and then.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Fuck it, so maybe it was more than that. My leg jittered up and down and I placed my hands on my knees to try to appear relaxed. I could admit it. She'd kind of been the one that got away for me, even if I never actually tried to get her in the first place; I'd just really, really wanted to. There'd been something special about her, something different, and it had stuck with me through the years.

I didn't want to meet a Bella who'd lost that spark.

I stared out the window as Emmett signaled a turn onto the street I knew Rose lived on, feeling the nervous tension tightening in my neck.

This didn't have to be a big deal. I'd make it quick, say hey to her, then swear I had somewhere else to be. She probably wouldn't even remember me, anyway, some gangly, lame kid from high school who'd barely talked to anyone for a couple of months and then moved away. It wasn't like she would have been so impressed by my bio note-taking prowess that she'd still be thinking about me years later.

Like I was about her.

My stomach churned again as Emmett pulled into the driveway of an old Victorian style house that had been subdivided up into apartments, and turned off the ignition. He turned to me and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ready to meet some bunnies?" he asked. "And by the way? Bella? Definitely single."

I groaned and got out of his car, slamming the door behind me. "Emmett – not a word about what Jasper said, about me having a crush on her. That was just . . . high school, you know?"

Emmett paused for a minute, and I caught the understanding in his sharp eyes before he gave me a nod, and punched me lightly on the shoulder. "Sure thing, Edward."

. . . . . . . .

Emmett led the way up the steps and knocked on the door of the rear downstairs unit, grinning as it was opened almost immediately by Rosalie.

"How's my little bunny?" Emmett held out his arms to her.

"I swear, you call me that again, and I'm cutting you off for a week," Rose responded, walking past him to me and giving me a quick hug. "Hey, Edward. I haven't seen you in forever."

"Hey, Rose," I responded. "Nice pom-poms, by the way." I winked at her and she whacked me in the chest.

"You're gonna give me hell too? Damn, I knew I shouldn't have taken that bet."

"What bet?" I asked.

She shook her head. "My lips are sealed. I'll just say I lost it to that big oaf over there, and going to the open call for Playboy was my forfeit. Poor Bella, I conned her into coming with me for moral support, and we're both never gonna live it down now."

Emmett wrapped his arms around her, still grinning broadly, and I could tell that for all their bluster with each other, they both were happy and content being together.

"Hey, babe, where is Bells?" Emmett asked. "I have a little surprise for her."

"Surprise for me?"

I turned and saw Bella framed in a doorway across the room. Her face was a little thinner, but otherwise she was as I remembered - her hair still long, shiny strands of mahogany, those dark eyes expressive as her gaze moved from Emmett and Rose standing by the door to me. She gasped, her eyes opening wider as she stared for a minute.

"Edward Cullen?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews and for following this story – those emails popping up in my inbox always make my day!

**Chapter 3**

She remembered me. I was pretty sure my face just lit up like a fucking Christmas tree, but I couldn't stop smiling. She fucking remembered me.

"Look at that, she does remember you, Eddie!" Emmett grinned, voicing my thoughts. "I knew she would."

I wanted to throttle him, but restrained myself. I gave her a little nod, tried to look cool, laid back, like this didn't matter. "Hey, Bella. Long time." I grimaced internally as the words left my mouth. Could I sound like more of a douchebag? Be even less articulate than my sixteen-year-old self would have been?

"Wow, it has been," she replied. "I can't believe it – someone else at Dartmouth who matriculated at Forks High!"

"Go Spartans!" I responded feebly.

We stood there awkwardly for a moment. Emmett and Rose were observing us as though we were the night's entertainment and they were waiting for the performance to start.

Emmett finally broke in. "So, can a couple of fans get an autograph?" He produced two Playboys and tossed one to me. "I picked yours up before we left," he said, as though he'd done me a favor.

"Emmett, I told you, I am not signing that thing," Rosalie protested.

"Babe, c'mon," he whined. "This could be a collector's edition one day."

Bella gave a little eyeroll as the two started to get revved up. "So, I think I'm going to grab a drink. Thirsty?"

I nodded and followed her past Emmett and Rosalie, now nose to nose and totally ignoring us. We were no longer the main attraction.

The kitchen was quiet, and I tried to think of something to get the non-existent conversation started again. What did you say to the girl you hadn't seen in years that you jerked off to on a regular basis?

_You looked so fucking hot in this Playboy. All copies, everywhere should be burned. Except mine._

I mentally thwacked myself in the head. No. Just . . . no.

"Um, so you're roommates with Rose?" Hello, Captain Obvious, like that's so much better.

Bella smiled as she fished in the freezer compartment for some ice for her glass. "Yeah. We were on the same hall last year and hit it off."

"Rose is cool," I replied. Fantastic. What next, was I going to ask her about the weather?

"And you live with Emmett and Jasper? They mentioned they had a friend who was coming back from studying abroad."

"That'd be me." I took the glass she offered me and filled it with tap water, suddenly feeling parched.

"I hung out with them some last year when Emmett and Rose were still in the middle of their mating dance." She shook her head. "They're quite the pair." She lowered her voice and glanced towards the living room, where soft moans could now be heard. "They're . . . passionate. And loud."

I laughed softly. "Yeah, they've been doing that dance on and off since we were freshman."

We listened for another minute to the macking noises until Bella started to giggle. I edged over towards the kitchen door and peered into the living room. Rosalie and Emmett were on the couch, so immersed in each other that I wasn't sure how either was still breathing. Bella stopped behind me in the doorway and peeked around.

"They do that a lot," she whispered. "They'll eventually come up for air, but it could be awhile. Want to get out of here?"

I nodded, two steps behind her as we tiptoed past the couch and out the door. Bella jangled keys in front of her and pointed to a beat-up looking compact at the edge of the driveway. "That's me. Did you drive over here?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I rode with Emmett."

"I can drive you home. Or . . . would you want to go grab some dessert? I mean, if you don't have other plans? I'm feeling hungry." She gave a little shrug and patted her stomach.

This was it. The point where I could just claim other plans and walk away. Except, I didn't want to.

I was feeling hungry too, but probably not for the same thing she was. Whatever it was that had made Bella, well, Bella, it was definitely still there. There was still that something about her that made me not want to take my eyes off her. Made me want to bring her flowers, kiss her breathless, and then make her scream my name. Repeatedly. And maybe not in that order.

I was in so much trouble.

She paused at the driver's side door, keys in hand, and noticed I was still standing on the sidewalk staring at her. "We don't have to. I can just take you home, if you want."

I immediately started to protest. "No, sorry, just zoned for a minute there. Dessert sounds great." I opened the car door and slid inside.

She smiled then, that same radiant smile I'd witnessed a few times in high school, the one that lit up her whole face when she was genuinely happy about something.

The lusty feelings that had started bubbling inside when I first saw her were definitely intertwining with that weird fluttering. I gave a little cough as I rubbed at my stomach. Her smile made me feel like a damn thirteen-year-old girl drawing hearts around the name of her first crush.

"Awesome," she said. "I'm gonna take you somewhere I bet you've never been."

_Yes, please. Take me, Bella._

I tried to think of a more appropriate response as she cranked the car, the engine giving a ragged rumble before settling down as we pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. She headed for the main highway and drove north.

"So where is this place?" I asked.

"I took this writing class last semester on oral histories, and we had to go out and find people who'd lived through different eras to record. My professor hooked me up with this ninety year old lady who lives almost an hour from here, just across the state line. She had an amazing story." Bella smiled. "I hope my life is half what hers has been. On the way, I found this little diner that makes the best damn pie I've ever tasted, and I make a mean pie myself. I stopped there every time I went to see her – I probably gained ten pounds."

"You don't look it," I murmured, letting my eyes rake over her, remembering the way she'd looked in that picture, just the right amount of curves. I tried to steer my thoughts in another direction as I felt Little Eddie getting fired up.

She tossed her head back and laughed, nodding at the magazine I was still holding. "That photo, you mean? They must have airbrushed the hell out of that picture. I almost didn't recognize myself."

"I did. Immediately." What the fuck? Could I not keep my mouth shut? Why not just spell it out?

_Hey Bella, did you know I've been perving on dreams of your sexy little body for fucking years now?_

She just grinned and slid me a sly glance. "Well, you always seemed like an observant guy."

What did she mean by that? That she was glad I recognized her? Or that she noticed me staring at her like her own special stalker our sophomore year? Was that why she remembered me?

I decided to change the subject as I discreetly dropped the magazine to the floorboard of the car.

"So, how did you end up at Dartmouth? Jasper said you transferred last year."

She nodded, watching ahead of us as the beams cut through the darkness of the two lane road. "I started at UW. Forks High was . . . well, you probably remember. Not exactly a top notch preparatory school." She shrugged. "I knew I wanted to write, and I had a great professor my freshman year who really took me under her wing. She encouraged me to apply for some more scholarships, enter some writing competitions, that sort of thing, and then started talking to me about transferring. Dartmouth had what I was looking for, I liked the size, and-" she gestured with one hand at the trees surrounding the road on both sides, "-this place kind of reminded me of home a little."

She glanced over. "What about you?"

"Me?" I raked my hand through my hair. "My dad went to Dartmouth, so I guess it was kind of expected. I just grew up with it, and I didn't even apply to many other schools. But I like it here."

"That's cool."

We fell into an easy conversation about her classes and mine and our mutual friends and before I knew it she was pulling into a parking lot on the side of the road, the tires of the car crunching on the gravel. I surveyed the ramshackle building that bore a neon sign flashing the word DINER at about half-wattage. On the other side of the parking lot was a small building with another neon sign announcing VACANCY in vertical letters. Behind it were a series of cottages that could have used a couple of new coats of paint.

"Um, Bella, are you sure about this place?" I asked, wondering if she'd think I was weird for wanting to check the sanitation rating.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Please, Edward. Come on, you're going to love it."

The diner was mostly empty as it was nearing midnight. She waved to the waitress, who adjusted her apron and trailed us to the booth in the rear that Bella headed for automatically.

"Bella, we haven't seen you in these parts for ages. How are you, sugar? And is this fine looking young man yours?"

I watched as a faint blush spread across Bella's cheeks, before she shook her head. "I went home for summer break, Nadine, and just got back in town. And this is Edward. We went to high school together for a little while, and just ran into each other again tonight."

"Well, that beats all. No such thing as coincidence, you know that, sugar." She shook her head and whipped out her notepad. "Now, what can I get for you? The usual?"

Bella nodded. "Absolutely. One piece of cherry pie, hot, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream on the side. And coffee."

I didn't even bother with the menu after watching her eyes sparkle as she ordered. "I'll have what she's having," I added.

"Two cherries and cream, coming right up."

Nadine walked away and I watched Bella across the booth as she smiled back at me. "So, catch me up on Forks," I requested.

She raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know about Forks?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I know I wasn't there long, but . . ."

She laughed. "Okay, hmmm, let me see. Most people ended up how you would expect. A few went to college, most started in factory jobs, logging, that kind of thing. Ohh, let's see, this is a good one. You remember Angela?"

I frowned, trying to remember back. "Your friend, the minister's daughter? The one that was the head of Coc, uh . . . the chastity club?"

Her nose wrinkled as she laughed. "You mean Cockblockers United?" My jaw dropped as she laughed harder. "You think we didn't know what the guys in the school nicknamed that club? Well, that's what so funny. Angela was so earnest when she founded the group. Very true love waits. And then she started dating Ben Cheney."

"Ben . . ." I trailed off, drawing a blank.

"Sweet guy, glasses, a little geeky? Really loved Star Wars?"

I snapped my fingers. "Wait, did he dress up as Luke Skywalker for Halloween? Even had the light saber?"

Bella nodded enthusiastically as Nadine put our plates down in front of us and took back off. "Yes! He wore that costume for years, every single Halloween. Well, Angela started to date him our junior year, and her dad was so proud. They were like the poster children for abstinence, promise rings and everything."

She picked up her fork and dug into the flaky crust of the pie, cutting a small piece off and lifting it to her mouth to blow lightly on it. I watched, entranced by the shape of her lips.

She noticed my stare as she lowered the piece back to her plate. "I like to blow on it before I get started."

I barely managed to not whimper audibly as I was assaulted with a sudden image of my chaste high school angel turned fuckable vixen on her knees in front of me. I grabbed the coffee and hastily took a sip instead, nearly choking on the scalding liquid as she watched with alarm.

"Edward? Are you okay?"

I nodded shakily. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Didn't know that would be so hot. What was that again?"

She looked down at her pie. "Oh, yeah, I get really impatient, so I always blow on it a little to try to cool it off. It's always too hot to eat when it first comes out." She shrugged. "I don't like to wait when I want something."

"Sure," I replied, gesturing at the coffee, trying to distract myself. "Me too. So, uh, Angela and Ben?"

Bella jumped back into her story. "Yeah, so like I said, poster children. Her dad even had a guy do a write-up in some Lutheran newsletter about them and their commitment. My dad loved her – was always telling me I should be like Angela." She snorted. "As if he'd have let a guy get within five feet of me alone in high school."

I nodded, poking at the pie, remembering Chief Swan as an imposing man, with an equally imposing mustache and downright terrifying gun strapped to his thigh. I'd always been a little afraid he would read my thoughts and shoot me just for those. "Yeah, I remember that your dad was a little . . ."

"Overprotective?" she filled in. "You could say that. So we get to the end of senior year, about a week before graduation, and Angela asks me to drive to Seattle with her one Saturday. Turned out Ben was the kryptonite to her super chastity belt, they'd been going at it like bunnies for years, and he'd finally knocked her up. I was the maid of honor for her at City Hall that weekend."

"Nice," I replied. "So how'd they turn out?"

Bella laughed. "Awesome. They really were in love. Angela was so worried her dad would kill Ben when they got back to town, and he started to, until her mom tore into him about how Angela was a little surprise that had caused them to elope when they were eighteen too. It was hilarious. Apparently Pastor Weber turned purple, then red, then held out his arms and welcomed Ben to the family. They had a cute little baby girl."

She dug into her pie, scooping up a bite, then swirling it in the bowl of melting ice cream before plunging it into her mouth and moaning. "That's the best thing I've had in my mouth in ages."

My cock went from the half-mast I'd mentally coaxed it down to, back up to Hello Bella in a heartbeat.

She glanced up. "Try yours."

I followed her example and scooped a bite off the plate, my fork separating the flaky layers and gooey filling as I caught a dab of ice cream and took a bite.

I moaned a little myself. She was right. It was heavenly. She grinned and pointed her fork at me. "What did I tell you? Good, right?"

I nodded and dove for another piece. "Fantastic. This crust just melts in your mouth."

We ate in silence for a few moments, humming appreciation as we savored the pie. She gave a little sigh and took a sip of her coffee. "So, yeah – not that many exciting stories about Forks High. Angela getting knocked up was probably our biggest scandal."

She set her cup of coffee back on the table. "Edward, can I ask you something?"

There was a serious note in her voice, the humor from a minute before drained away. I swallowed and sat back, suddenly nervous. "Sure, Bella."

She laced her hands around the cup, staring into its dark depths. "Did you . . . did you not like me in high school? You never seemed to want to talk to me."

Not like her? How could I even begin to explain that to her?

"No, Bella. I did. I just . . ." I let out a breath and decided to go for it. "I was a stupid sixteen-year-old guy who didn't know how to talk a girl that he . . . had a crush on."

She looked up then, a strange expression on her face. "You had a crush on me?"

I shrugged. "You mean you couldn't tell? Bella . . . you were just . . . you were beautiful and kind of unattainable and . . . you made me so nervous I couldn't even talk to you."

She let out a small laugh. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

She looked back into the cup. "I had a crush on you too. You were such an enigma." I watched as her cheeks pinked up again as she slowly raised her eyes to mine and held them.

I couldn't look away. All of the lust and desire from long ago that I'd rolled over and over in my mind for years into impossible fantasies was before me, mirrored back and magnified.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this," she murmured, her eyes still holding me prisoner. "You were my first."

"Your first?" I repeated back.

She leaned forward and I found myself doing the same, until our faces were only a few inches away.

"My first orgasm. I thought of you . . ."

Something inside me snapped and I slid out of the booth, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet and digging out a couple of twenties that should more than cover the cherry pie. No matter how fucking delectable it was, I had something I wanted to eat much more.

I leaned down to her side of the booth and whispered, "You have no idea how many times I've come screaming your name." I slid my thumb across the corner of her mouth, swiping away the tiny hint of cherries and cream there before I licked my thumb clean, watching her eyes darken further as she inhaled sharply. "Delicious. Want to get out of here?"

She nodded. We headed towards the door with a quick goodbye to Nadine and out into the cool fall air. The dull glow of the neon vacancy light next door caught my eye and I stopped. Bella followed my gaze and then pulled me forward.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Your reviews and comments always bring a smile to my face – I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4

Ten minutes later, I was fumbling with the key to the door of room number seven, the attached small hard plastic tag jangling in my impatience.

"Here, let me." Bella took the key from my hand and managed to jiggle it until the door fell open.

I'd imagined her over the years in all manner of dress, positions, and settings. But a tiny, worn down no-tell motel room hadn't ever played a part. I paused in the doorway, suddenly hesitant. Bella deserved better than this.

"Edward?" Her voice was confident as she turned around and held out her hand to me. "It's okay. I want this."

I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me. "Are you sure? Bella, I may have been too shy to say it in high school, but this evening . . . I haven't enjoyed just being with someone like this in longer than I can remember." My dick was commanding me to shut the hell up, but I pressed on. "This doesn't have to happen now."

She walked forward, smoothing her hands up my shirt. "I know that. And I feel the same way about tonight. I've thought about you over the years, Edward, but I never really thought I'd see you again. This, this feels right." She leaned up and whispered hotly in my ear, "I've had years of fantasies. Tonight, I want the real thing."

I growled into her neck and swung her up into my arms, carrying her over to the bed as she squealed an excited laugh at my antics. If the lady wanted to play, well, fuck, I was just a guy. Who was I to say no to her request?

I put her down and she sat up on her knees, eyes alight as I settled beside her. "So, you want to tell me about these fantasies of yours, Bella?"

She bit her lip as her gaze raked over me hotly. "Well, for starters, you were usually a lot more naked."

I reached behind me and pulled my shirt over my head, not bothering to unbutton it, tossing it to the side with a flourish as she squealed and clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Ohh, baby, take it off, take it all off!" she commanded.

I raised an eyebrow, then stood and turned, toeing off my shoes and socks before I unbelted and unbuttoned my jeans. I faced her again, hand on my zipper and ready to lower it, when she started to crawl across the bed towards me. "Let me do it."

I held my breath, praying Little Eddie didn't pop out and blind her as she bent her head and took the zipper in her teeth, lowering it. Fuck me, that took skills. I watched her as she nuzzled through the flaps of the denim, her tongue flicking out against the hard flesh barely contained in my boxers.

I almost came right then.

She opened her eyes and stared up at me, her lips landing a gentle kiss on the head of my covered cock before she leaned back. "Take them off," she urged.

My hands were almost trembling as I hastily slid the loose denim over my hips.

She raised an eyebrow as she stared at the tented boxers barely containing me. "All of it," she ordered.

Most of the Bellas in my fantasies had been sweet girls who needed a little coaxing – not ones who could unzip me with their mouth and make me do their every command. I found the contrast far fucking hotter than I would have ever expected.

I hooked my thumbs in my boxers and pushed them to the ground as well. I won't lie. I might have been a scrawny little bastard back in high school, but I'd filled out some since then, and I knew that women found me attractive. But at that moment, all I could think about was what Bella thought.

I looked into her eyes and saw it – pure, unadulterated desire as her eyes raked up and down my body, making me tingle like she'd touched me. My cock was at full salute now, straining toward her, and she leaned forward again, her warm fingers tracing my length.

"Beautiful," she sighed, before pulling away and scooting back onto the bed.

I followed instinctively, stalking towards her until she was back against the headboard with nowhere to go. I moved in, wanting to taste those lips I'd dreamed about for so long.

"Bella? Can I kiss you?" I asked softly.

She nodded and I leaned closer, wanting to make this something special, memorable. That plan was shot to hell at the first touch, her mouth opening to mine. The connection was a circuit I didn't want to break, arcing desire and lust alternating between us as we sought to get even closer.

She was beneath me on the bed, the soft weight of her breasts flush against me, her thigh wrapped around my hip and the soft denim of her jeans rubbed against my aching dick as she cradled me. My hands couldn't rest, running down her side, the curve of her ass, through the soft strands of her hair. I wanted her, all of her, all at once, and yet I wanted to savor her, make this last.

She broke away with a moan, panting. "Damn, I don't even know if I remember my name after that," she laughed shakily.

"You're Fantasy Girl," I replied, continuing to kiss her cheek, the curve of her ear, the soft skin on her neck.

"Oh, that's right," she giggled. "Then you must be Fantasy Boy."

I leaned back and gave her a little nudge with my hips as a reminder. "I don't know about the boy part, but I am your fantasy, here to please."

She gave a hum of approval. "I like that. So, Fantasy Man, what are you up for?"

"Anything you want," I replied, running my finger along the sliver of skin between her jeans and shirt. "Well, assuming you take these off soon. You were usually a lot more naked in my fantasies too. At least by the end of them."

"Hmm, carte blanche. I like." She grinned. "So you want to know what my fantasy was the first time?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah."

She leaned in towards my ear, her voice low and sultry. "I imagined you got yourself off while I stripped for you."

Oh, fuck. Could I even tell her how many times I'd jerked off to the thought of her shimmying out of that little schoolgirl plaid skirt and fuzzy sweater?

"So, could you do that for me?" she asked.

"Probably in my sleep," I replied. "It's kind of a favorite of mine too."

She gave me a wink and slid off the bed, standing at the foot as I settled against the creaky headboard. I gave my palm a quick lick for a little lubrication, and she moaned as she watched me take myself in hand and give a hard stroke. I hadn't ever thought about what a turn-on it would be for her to watch me – I'd always thought about watching her. I raised an eyebrow and paused as she finally blinked and looked back up to my face.

"Fuck, Edward, that is so hot."

I was glad I had a firm grip on myself, because the husky sound of her voice shot straight to my balls. "Gonna return the favor?" I asked.

She gave me a little wink, then turned around, kicking her shoes off before sliding her hands beneath the buttoned up shirt she wore. I watched as the denim of her jeans came down, the length of the shirt covering to just below the curve of her ass. She glanced over her shoulder, her breathing quickening as she watched me stroke myself.

I drank in the sight of her long legs, watching as she slipped her fingers under the hem of the shirt and slowly raised it, revealing sheer lace blue underwear that rode high on her ass cheeks. Luscious. She ran a hand back, caressing the curve of her bottom, one finger teasingly sweeping along the edge of the lace and settling it back in place before she dropped the shirt back down.

I groaned. I was so jealous of her hand.

She slowly pivoted, and I watched as she did that girl trick where she slipped her hands inside the arms of the shirt, emerging a moment later with a blue bra that seemed to match those panties. I frowned as she tossed it across the room until she began to teasingly unbutton the first button of the shirt.

We developed a rhythm. I stroked, she released a button. Stroke, button, stroke, button. I almost lost it again by the third button, the shirt now parting enough that I could see the swell of her breasts. Another revealed the soft expanse of her stomach, then another down to the front of those panties I was ready to rip off her. Fuck this fantasy, I really wanted to touch her now.

When she reached the bottom of her shirt, she trailed her fingers back up. My eyes were glued to their movement as they caressed her soft skin and skimmed the edges of her curves. I cursed when she slid her fingers further beneath the material, tweaking the nipples still hidden with a little hum of delight. I wanted to do that, find out if she liked soft little licks or harder bites.

"Bella," I begged. "Let me see you, all of you."

She gave a small shimmy and let the shirt slide off her shoulders, leaving her in just the blue peekaboo lace that revealed more than it hid. I watched as her hands slid down beneath the material, flashes of her skin revealing the movement of her fingers as her eyes locked on mine.

The sight of her touching herself, face flushed, hair tangled around her shoulders as she watched me, was almost too much. I tried to slow down, pace myself, wanting to draw this out. Bella seemed to have other ideas as she put one knee on the bed and began to crawl towards me. She moved between my legs and sat, her own legs spread as she once again plunged her fingers beneath the lace.

With her so close now, I couldn't resist tracing my own free hand up the smooth skin of her thigh, following the curve of her waist up to her breasts, ripe and begging to be touched. She whimpered softly as I ran my thumb over her nipple, then moaned louder as I gave a slightly harder tug.

She slid her hand out, and I could smell the tang of her juices coating her fingers as she wrapped her hand around mine and began to stroke me.

"Together," she whispered, her forehead touching mine. I watched her hand begin to move on me in a smooth, steady rhythm. I slid my own hand under her lace and found the warm wetness there as I plunged one finger inside her.

"Oh, fuck, Edward. More," she panted, her hips moving now in sync with mine as I thrust against her tight, slick fist, letting her take over completely.

I added another finger inside her, my free hand finding her breast, watching her face as she lost herself in the moment. I moved my thumb to find her clit, feeling so victorious at the sudden flush of her skin as her orgasm hit her hard that I was caught off guard by the swipe of her thumb against the head of my cock, causing me to explode into her fingers.

She gave a shaky laugh as we both collapsed onto the bed, spent for the moment. I looked over at her, flushed and warm, a sweet, almost shy smile on her lips, even after what we'd just done.

"Hi," she murmured.

"Hey," I replied, my hand coming up to brush a strand of hair back from her cheek. She leaned into my touch as her eyes fluttered shut. She exhaled shakily.

"That was-"

"Pretty damn amazing," I finished.

She giggled, and I let the sound wash over me. "I was going to say better than my imagination, but that works too."

"Mine too." I started to pull her towards me, but the sticky wetness coating my stomach stopped me.

"Give me a second." I launched myself off the bed and into the tiny bathroom, grabbing a worn and faded washcloth to wipe myself off.

I ducked my head out of the bathroom door to find her curled beneath the sheet. "Here you go." I tossed a small hand towel to her, and she caught it, wiping her fingers. "Need anything else?"

"You?" It came out as a question, as though she was uncertain of whether we were done. She patted the pillow beside her, her refusal to meet my eyes betraying her nervousness.

I couldn't stop my smile. Living out one of her fantasies had been pretty fucking awesome, but I'd wondered a little if that's all it was for her. Maybe not.

She started to reach for her shirt that she'd tossed at the end of the bed. "Or not. Sorry, you may need to get-"

I realized I'd gotten too lost in my thoughts again, and she'd taken the extended pause for disinterest when it was anything but. "Bella, no." I was across the room in a few steps, and removed the garment from her fingers. "I don't have anywhere I need to be but right here."

I slid into the bed beside her, tugging her closer and pulling her flush against me, my fingers entranced by her soft skin.

We lay there in silence for what could have been minutes or hours, limbs loose and languid, intertwined. I threaded my hand through her hair, stroking it as her fingertips traced shapes on my chest. It should have felt so fucking weird, because I generally wasn't a big fan of the post-hook-up snuggle, but somehow holding Bella felt different. Right.

"I was going to ask you out," I said, breaking the silence.

She tilted her face up to mine. "Really? When?"

"When you wanted me to take notes for you in biology. Do you remember that? I was going to ask you out when I gave them to you."

"Why didn't you?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I got cold feet. You were . . . like some kind of angel, so perfect, and I didn't know if you'd say yes, and, well, I lost my nerve."

She placed a kiss against my chest. "I was kind of hoping you would call me, after I gave you my number. I, um, sort of made up that note taking thing."

"What?" I asked, looking down at her.

Her cheeks reddened. "Mr. Banner told me he'd give me the notes, but I wanted some reason to talk to you – so . . ."

I shook my head. "I wish I'd had the balls to ask you out then, Bella."

She sat up, looking me in the eyes. " I couldn't believe it when you moved away. One day you were there, and the next, just gone. I guess it was for the best, the way things worked out. Maybe it just wasn't the right time, you know?"

"Maybe so."

She laced her fingers with mine after a moment, the corners of her mouth tugging up and signaling a shift in her mood. "So, Edward, why don't you tell me about what we would we have done, if you had asked me out back then?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I grinned up at her as she leaned over me, her hair falling around us and brushing against my shoulder. "Oh, I had a plan. I was going to take you to Port Angeles, wine you and dine you, then drive up to that make-out spot everybody talked about. I was a little obsessed with what was under those plaid skirts you wore."

She covered her mouth in mock disbelief. "Weren't _you_ the dirty boy."

"You have no idea," I replied.

She leaned forward, her lips brushing against my ear. "Given my little fantasy we just reenacted, I'd say I do. So, want to return the favor and tell me one of yours?" Her tongue crept out and flicked against my earlobe, causing my breath to catch as she whispered, "And it was plain white cotton under those skirts. Frequently soaked from thinking about you."

I almost choked. "It's a good thing I had no idea what was on your mind back then, Bella Swan. You would have been in so much trouble. I'm not sure even the threat of that gun your dad carried would have kept me away."

"Really?" she purred in my ear. "Too bad I didn't say something. Now tell me about what you get off too. In detail."

Bella wanted me to talk dirty to her. I could feel the blood rushing south so fast I felt dizzy. I swallowed hard and started talking.

"Ok, I'm at the high school, in homeroom. Only it's lunchtime, and no one's around. I'm sitting in my seat, over by the window. Waiting."

"What are you waiting for?" she breathed.

"This gorgeous girl. She gets me so hard every morning with the way she licks her lips, 'cause all I can think about is them on me, the way it'd feel if she licked me that way. And her ass, so hot I can barely stop myself from grabbing it when she walks by. So when she slips me a note in homeroom, tells me to meet her at lunch, I'm there."

"Sounds like a knockout," Bella whispered.

I traced my fingers against her cheek. "She is. Knocks me out, every time."

She closed her eyes, leaning into my hand against her face, and I felt that weird flutter that was somehow not about sex in my stomach again.

Her eyes opened and I was lost in them for a long moment.

"Then what happens?" she asked, finally.

"The door knobturns and there she is."

Bella bit her lip, her eyes narrowing as she studied me intently for a second, then jumped up, pulling my hand.

"Wait, where are we going?"

She tugged me to the edge of the bed, but stopped me from getting up.

"Wait here," she commanded.

She grabbed my shirt off the floor and disappeared into the bathroom, the door closing with a creak behind her. I waited as directed.

But not for long. She opened the door, looking rumpled and so sexy. I hadn't expected her wearing my shirt to be such a turn-on, as if I needed anything else, but seeing her there, one shoulder almost bare from the too large shirt, sleeves pushed up, a few buttons undone to hint at her cleavage, and legs deliciously revealed, I realized that this was even better than my memories of that plaid skirt.

And her hair. It was wild around her shoulders, and I craved the feel of it again, now that I actually knew how soft it was, how good it felt to run my hands through it, wrap it around my fingers.

Soon. I was going to let her have her way, tease me a little first.

She looked up at me, doe-eyed and shy, hands clasped together. Little vixen, acting innocent and surprised, playing the part. A smile curved her mouth as she took me in, her eyes running over me. She licked her lips.

"Edward," she whispered my name, shy, nervous, but still inviting. "I'm glad you came." I watched as she walked across the room, hips swaying, before she seated herself on the low dresser on the wall beside the bed. My shirt didn't quite reach mid-thigh on her, and my eyes followed her every move as she situated herself demurely, crossing her legs and highlighting the curve of her calf, the arch of her foot, the small toes tipped in the palest pink.

I decided she was too far away. I was off the bed and in front of her before she could even beckon, tracing one finger down the thin cotton of my shirt, feeling the heat of her body beneath. She breathed in, a quick hiss as her porcelain skin flushed.

I loved the way she reacted to my touch.

She was playing hard to get though, reverting to her sophomore self and teasing me with her legs firmly crossed even as she leaned back, displaying her perky breasts to best advantage.

"So, Edward, do you know why I asked you to meet me here?" she asked, her voice sweet.

I leaned closer, inhaling her. "Well, I know why I hope you asked me to meet you."

She giggled just a little as my nose nudged her neck, barely ghosting against the skin. I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her towards me.

Her hand went up in protest, a barrier against my chest. "I . . . I was hoping you'd give me my first kiss."

Her first kiss? Okay, not what I'd been expecting. But there was something real in her voice that made me pause. I raised my head, meeting her eyes.

"You'd . . . you've never been kissed?"

She shook her head, a sad smile at her lips. "I was kind of hoping you'd be my first."

And then it really hit me, what she was telling me. Fuck. What I'd missed out on all those years ago. For a brief moment, a litany of could have beens flashed through my head.

But I had her now, in this moment, and I was going to make the most of it.

"Bella? I'd be honored."

I framed her face in my hands, holding her gently as our lips came together. I didn't really remember much about my first kiss. I'd been drunk, and at a party, and it had been the result of some stupid game with a girl whose name I'd barely known then and didn't remember now. And I had no idea what hers had been like. But even though we weren't kids anymore, and this was just some game we were playing, it felt . . . real. Like I'd fallen back through time somehow, with a chance to do the things I wished I'd done.

I'd have probably screwed it up back then, bumped our noses, half-choked her on my tongue, or rushed things too fast. But now . . . now I could do it right. I brushed my lips against hers again and again, the bow of her upper lip, the pout of her lower, the corner bending up in a smile, all feather light, each touch an invitation for more. My thumb stroked against her neck, feeling the strum of her pulse as she ran her hands up my chest, her fingers burying themselves in my hair and pulling me closer in response.

Her plump lower lip was sweet and tantalizing, so I gave it a slow lick, listening to her sharp inhale, the way she opened to me as I angled our faces, allowing myself to explore her mouth. The low buzz that seemed to fill my senses when I touched her was back in full force, wrapping around us, magnifying the languid slide of our lips, the tentative acquaintance of mouths and bodies of new lovers.

We kissed like that, arms tangled but chaste, holding each other close until we were both breathless and shaky. I'd never felt anything quite like it. When we finally parted, I couldn't bring myself to disengage, keeping her close, my forehead resting against hers as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," I whispered back.

"So, what happens next?" she asked in hushed tones.

In my fantasies, she'd worn her short plaid skirt. I'd pulled her panties off and fucked her hard on the edge of the desk while she panted my name.

But that felt wrong now and it wasn't what I wanted tonight. I picked her up off the dresser without a word as her legs slid around my waist, and carried her back to the bed. I loved how she looked there, dark hair spread out on the white of the sheets, her cheeks still flushed from my kisses. I slid my fingers in the buttons of my shirt, revealing her body to me slowly. She must have stripped off her underwear in the bathroom, because she was bare beneath, her reality so much more beautiful than her airbrushed photo.

"Edward?" she asked, her hand touching my face. It was a unspoken question, this sudden change, and I didn't know how to explain it to her, the strange twisting desire inside to make this something more than a random fuck, a one night stand.

"Is this . . . okay?" I asked tentatively.

She nodded, her thumb smoothing my lip. "More than," she replied.

I kissed her again, harder than before, and she moaned into my mouth as our tongues tangled. I was on fire, consumed with her, as my mouth found the smooth skin of her neck, leaving small nips and sucks as she arched against me, her legs curling around me and letting me slide closer between them. I could feel her against me, hot and slick. Ready for me.

"Please," she whispered, "Edward, please, I want you."

My hands found her hips, and I slid my fingers down to touch her, softly at first. She trembled beneath me, a soft whispered plea on her lips for more. She was wet and I slid into her easily, entranced by the way her body swallowed my fingers. I needed to be inside her. Now.

I tore myself away, fumbling for my discarded jeans, scrambling for the condom in my wallet. Her hands skimmed over me, caressing my back, pulling me back to her as I held up the foil packet in triumph.

Our mouths met again, more intense, and I needed her closer, urging her to wrap herself around me again as I cupped her breasts, loving the way she writhed against me when I stroked her hard nipples.

Her nails left light scratches as she buried her hands in my hair when I paused for a second to suck on one tight bud, then the other. It felt so good, the sharp little bite of her fingers a counterpoint anchoring me against her soft body.

I was rock hard, almost painfully so, as she managed to slip her hand between us. I hissed at the pleasure of her hand wrapping around me. Her fingers teased the sensitive flesh, her thumb ghosting over the head of my cock and causing me to jerk at her touch like I was still that schoolboy she'd dreamed about.

She let me go, grabbing the condom and ripping open the packet, rolling it on me as our eyes locked. Without looking away, she guided me towards her, and we both exhaled sharply as I slid inside, joining us as her slick heat consumed me. It was heaven, her tight body molded to mine, her fingers back in my hair as I found her mouth, pulling her closer to me as we rocked together.

I couldn't take my eyes off her, and the need in her eyes drove me faster, pushing us both towards the inevitable end. We seemed to be in sync, moving and flexing together. I touched her, wanting to see her fall apart, feel the orgasm rip through her with me buried inside.

She keened my name and I knew I wasn't going to last much longer when I felt her pulse around me, her eyes fluttering shut. I moved faster, shifting her leg up and changing the angle in a way that made her bite her lip and moan again as I came hard, one word on my lips.

"Bella."

She was warm and soft beneath me, her hand cradling my head against her. I knew I needed to move off her before I crushed her, but everything felt so right at that moment, I just wanted to stay exactly where I was.

I heaved myself off of her with a reluctant sigh, making a quick trip to the bathroom to toss the condom before coming back, ready to curl against her. I found her sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting, wrapped loosely in a sheet and staring at the mottled brown of the industrial carpet. A slight smile gave me little indication of where she was at before she disappeared into the bathroom, the door closing firmly behind her.

I collapsed back on the bed, the hazy euphoric exhaustion of really great sex washing over me as I pulled the tangled sheets up. They were scratchy and harsh against my bare skin, and I frowned as I studied the room. Even the dim lighting of the lamp didn't hide what a dump the place was, now that I was looking at something besides Bella. I twisted against the lumpy mattress, trying to find a comfortable spot before I gave up. I wasn't ready to end our night, but I didn't want to stay here. It wouldn't take that long to drive back and then we could crash at my place. Soft flannel sheets, a nice big bed, and Bella naked against me.

Perfect.

I reached for my pants and pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was nearly four in the morning. We could be home before dawn, sleep in, then I could make her pancakes for lunch, one of the few things I could actually cook. Jasper would probably give me a hard time about it, Emmett too, if he'd emerged from his love-fest with Rose, but I didn't really care. I got it now, what had happened to both of them. And I wanted it too.

I tucked my hands behind my head and waited for her to come out. What did women do in the bathroom for so long? I ventured over to the door, tapping softly.

"Hey, Bella? What do you think about getting out of here?"

I waited for a reply, wondering if she'd heard me, when she finally spoke, her voice muffled through the door. "Um, sure, Edward." The squeak of the tap twisting and water splashing in the sink sounded, making it even harder to hear her as she rushed on. "No reason to stay now, right? So why don't you go check out? I'll meet you out at the car."

"You sure?" I asked, leaning against the door frame, wishing I could see her face. "I was thinking-"

"I'll meet you out there." The faucet creaked up to full blast and the running water dismissed me before I could finish.

I found my boxers and jeans crumpled beside the bed and slid them on, then located my shirt that she'd discarded on her pillow. Sliding into my shoes, I called out, "I'm taking the key back to the desk now."

She didn't respond, but the water was still running.

I whistled to myself as I walked the few steps to the office, surreptitiously sniffing my shirt to see if it smelled like her now. Twirling the plastic keychain around my finger, I grinned at the number etched on it. Lucky number 7. Lucky indeed.

The same old man who'd checked us in was dozing behind the counter as I opened the door to the office, tapping the bell softly with no effect.

"Sir?" No response.

"Checking out," I announced a little louder, then hit the bell harder. The last ring seemed to rouse him, and he straightened abruptly, his eyes blearily focusing on me.

"Have a good time?" He yawned as he stood up, grabbing the key. I gave a short nod, annoyed at the leering glance he was tossing towards the parking lot, where Bella was now unlocking her car door. "That one's a looker, alright. Bet you did have a _real_ good time." He leaned forward, smirking. "Walls are kinda thin here, if you know what I mean."

I stepped back, trying to resist the urge to hit him. "Hey, buddy, watch it. That's my girlfriend." I was surprised when the words flew out of mouth. She wasn't, not yet, but as I stood there I realized that I really hoped she would be.

He shrugged. "Don't matter to me."

I turned on my heel and stalked out into the cool night, still inky black, annoyed at his insinuations and assumptions about what has happened here between us tonight. What the fuck did he know? I wrenched open the door to the passenger seat and slid in to the car, where Bella sat, fiddling with the dial to the radio.

"You alright?" Bella asked, catching my scowl. She smoothly put her car into reverse and pulled out of the gravel lot, the still lit neon of the diner and motel glowing as we pulled onto the road.

"Guy inside was a dick," I huffed.

"Oh," she replied. "Well, it's a crap job." She reached forward and flipped the radio dial away from some twangy love song before I could say another word. She landed on the late night shift for the college AM station, a pair of bored sophomores that were yakking about who knows what in some sort of talk show format.

I let out a breath, trying to get back that feeling I'd had before I walked into the office. "So, Bella-"

She shot me a look I couldn't decipher and cut me off. "I'm sorry, Edward, do you mind if we listen to this while I drive back? I really like this show. These guys are funny."

Seriously? The pair sounded worse than a couple of braying donkeys to me, but I shrugged.

"Um, sure."

The rest of the ride back to Hanover was quiet, the noise of the radio filling the car. She looked tired as she hunched over the wheel, and I wondered if suggesting we leave had been the wrong move. Fuck the crap sheets, maybe we should have just stayed there, come back later in the morning. I could have still made her pancakes.

She stayed focused on her driving, eyes glued to the road even after I offered to take over. As we got closer to the town limits, the silence between us seemed to grow more tangible, piling up like some kind of invisible wall the longer we went without words.

I felt my anxiety about asking her to stay with me increasing. Had I imagined what happened back there? Maybe she hadn't been that into it after all.

No, she'd definitely been into what we were doing. Maybe it was just me that she wasn't that into. Had she just been looking to scratch an itch? Get an old crush out of her system? But that kiss . . . didn't a kiss like that mean something?

I cleared my throat. "My place is off the second left up ahead."

She nodded, still silent, and I knew I had to say something, but my mind was suddenly blank as she navigate the turn on to my street.

I pointed to the small house with my car, Jasper's, and a third vehicle I didn't recognize that must be Alice's sitting in the driveway. "Um . . . that's me."

She nodded again, and within seconds we were sitting there in the driveway, the car idling as we both stared straight ahead. This was it. This was where I was supposed to make the big move. The feeling in my stomach had morphed into a hard knot of uncertainty.

"So, here we are," I managed.

"Here we are," she echoed, glancing over at me, then looking away quickly. "Oh, wait a second." She fumbled in the side pocket of the car and pulled out a pen, then picked up the magazine I'd dropped in the floorboard the night before. She flipped it open, uncapped the pen with her mouth, then began to write quickly.

"You wanted an autograph, right?" she said, when she was done, handing me the Playboy. "There you go." She stifled a yawn that looked kind of fake from where I was sitting. "Well, I guess I'd better get home, see if Rose and Em have wrecked the place again. I'm pretty beat."

I rolled up the magazine and curled my hand into a fist around it, not wanting to look at it. This all felt wrong, and not the way I'd wanted to end tonight, but I couldn't figure out how to make it right with her practically booting me out of the car. She was just sitting there, staring straight ahead again. The car was still idling, not even in park, like she was ready to gun it if I'd just get out.

So I opened the car door slowly. "Thanks, Bella. Listen, tonight was-"

"A great trip down memory lane, wasn't it?" she finished, her tight smile not quite reaching her eyes. "I'll see you around, Edward. Good night."

I shut the door, watching as she started to back out of the drive and pull away. Fuck. What had just happened there? What was wrong with me? Why hadn't I said something to her? At least tried to make her listen to me? I trudged towards the glow of the porch light, watching as her tail lights headed down the street.

The magazine was heavy in my hand, and part of me just wanted to toss in the trash. To a million other guys who were going to open it, she'd be just another piece of ass to stare at, fantasize about, jerk off to. But to me, she was so much more than that now. I'd had the real thing, and it beat every fantasy I'd ever had of her.

I flipped the magazine open as I stood under the porch light, and saw that she'd done more than just sign her name. The words jumped off the page at me.

_Edward,_

_If you'd asked me in high school, I would have said yes._

_Bella_

Underneath was her number, ten digits that made my breath catch. I dug in my pocket, hastily hitting the keys as I watched her car slow at the stop sign at the end of the street, and then hit send.

The phone rang once, twice, three times as I watched her silhouette, unmoving, before her head ducked down and I saw her raise something to her ear.

"What about now?" I asked without preamble.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was soft.

"What if I asked you now? Would you still say yes?" I asked.

There was such a long pause that I was almost afraid she'd disconnected.

"And what would we be doing?" she asked tentatively.

I started to walk down the street towards the car. "Well, for starters, you come back and park that thing so we can go inside. And then we sleep, because the sexiest woman I know already had her way with me tonight and wore me out. And then when we wake up, pancakes."

"With syrup?" she asked.

"I don't make any other kind," I responded, as I leaned down and tapped on her window.

She rolled down the glass, as I dropped the phone and looked her in the eyes. "Bella Swan? Will you go out with me?"

Her face lit up as she smiled and pulled me in until her lips brushed mine. "I thought you'd never ask."

_The End_

A/N: Thanks to each and every one of you who have put this story on alert, added it to your list of favorites, and especially those who have taken the time to review. I've appreciated each and every comment, and I hope you've enjoyed the story. Next week I'll be moving on to finish up another story called So Be It – the first two chapters have been up for a while and you can find them under my profile if you're interested. Thanks again!


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